Stay safe during Diwali

With the festival of lights around the corner, there’s the constant challenge of balancing fun with safety

It’s hard to think of Diwali without firecrackers, but at the same time, one should not throw caution to the wind. It doesn’t matter what age group you fall under; there are some basic precautions you should follow.

Close the doors and windows of your house if firecrackers are being lit in the neighbourhood. This will not only help reduce the smoke and noise, but also keep the stray firework from entering your house.

“Always keep a bucket of water and sand nearby where you’re lighting firecrackers. Discard used fireworks in these buckets, rather than throwing them on the ground. Also, keep water handy for use in first aid. And most importantly, do not allow children to play with firecrackers unsupervised,” says Ashok Menon, Director of the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services. He shares some other precautions that people should follow: • Firecrackers should only be lit in open spaces. Avoid places which have thatched roofs / haystacks or any such combustible material nearby. Also, do not light firecrackers near automobiles, whether parked or moving

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